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Werner Erhard: The transformation of a man: the founding of EST
Who is Werner Erhard, born Jack Rosenberg, the charismatic founder of est? Here is the incredible and moving story as told by Werner Erhard's most unlikely biographer -- the brilliant philosopher and historian William Warren Bartley.
279 pages, Hardcover
First published December 12, 1988
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161 people want to read
About the author
W.W. Bartley III
18 books7 followersWilliam Warren Bartley, III (October 2, 1934 – February 5, 1990), known as W.W. Bartley, III, was an American philosopher.
After his doctoral graduation, Bartley worked as a lecturer in logic in London. Later, he held positions at the Warburg Institute and the University of California, San Diego. He was appointed to his first full professorship in 1969, at the University of Pittsburgh, where he had been teaching since 1963.
In 1973 he joined the California State University, Hayward faculty as a Professor of Philosophy, where he received the distinction of “Outstanding Professor” of the entire California State University System in 1979. His last position was that of a Senior Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution.
After his doctoral graduation, Bartley worked as a lecturer in logic in London. Later, he held positions at the Warburg Institute and the University of California, San Diego. He was appointed to his first full professorship in 1969, at the University of Pittsburgh, where he had been teaching since 1963.
In 1973 he joined the California State University, Hayward faculty as a Professor of Philosophy, where he received the distinction of “Outstanding Professor” of the entire California State University System in 1979. His last position was that of a Senior Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 29, 2013
Absolutely brilliant. One of the greatest minds, leaders, and change agents in our world ever. A very well done biography. A true favourite, one I refer to again and again, and one I will come back to. A must for any Landmark or EST graduate. A true look into how it was created, and what exactly it is.
August 3, 2024
A PHILOSOPHER WRITES A BIOGRAPHY OF THE CONTROVERSIAL FIGURE
Although Werner Hans Erhard (born John Paul Rosenberg in 1935) has virtually dropped off the American scene in recent decades (although he is the subject of a 2008 documentary, 'Transformation: The Life and Legacy of Werner Erhard'), his "est" seminars (later replaced by The Forum, and later carried by Landmark Education) were an extremely "hot" subject in the 1970s and early 1980s, and are still considered as having been "transformational" by many graduates.
W.W. Bartley (1934-1990; a philosopher who has written other books such as 'Wittgenstein,' wrote in the Introduction to this 1978 book, "This book aims to penetrate belief by presenting that experience which is captured in a life story. It tells the story of a rogue genius and American original whose person, life, education, program, are all at issue. It is the story of Erhard's life, education, and transformation, and tells how a poor boy from Philadelphia, a car salesman named Jack Rosenberg, a liar, an imposter, and a wife-deserter, got to that California freeway: how he became a man of integrity and compassion. It is also a universal story of the search for true identity and for Self."
He describes Erhard's work as "a meeting... between American Will and Oriental intellect." (Pg. xx) He quotes Erhard, "It was at this time that I first began to learn something out of Eastern religious thought, too. This wasn't originally out of any desire for spiritual attainment. It was only later, in studying spiritual disciplines, that I heard about spiritual attainment... Incidentally, there is no such thing as attainment when it comes to being spiritual." (Pg. 14)
He also quotes, "I resisted my mother as a teenager. Well, it is a law of the Mind that you become what you resist... I began increasingly to operate in my mother's identity. Having resisted my mother, and lost my mother, I BECAME my mother. I became Dorothy." (Pg. 44)
Bartley observes, "And so the 'est' training was born. But how does it work? And what vision underlies it?... Werner's point is that you don't agree with or believe in a ladder. You climb it. And if it breaks you get a new one. Thus to treat his philosophical perspective as a system to be believed, or to be committed or attached to, is to miss the point. As he puts it: 'The truth, believed, is a lie.'" (Pg. 180)
Erhard explains, "I am a sort of revolutionary. I have a strange ambition, though. I don't want any statues. I don't want any ordinary monuments. What I want is for the world to work. That's the monument I want. There's egomania for you! The organizing principle of est is: 'Get the world to do what it is doing.' I want to create a context in which government, education, families are nurturing. I want to enable, to empower, the institutions of man." (Pg. 220)
Rather too hagiographical and self-promoting of Erhard to be effective as a true biography, this book is nevertheless a key document for anyone wanting to learn more about the man behind the seminars and their descendants.
Although Werner Hans Erhard (born John Paul Rosenberg in 1935) has virtually dropped off the American scene in recent decades (although he is the subject of a 2008 documentary, 'Transformation: The Life and Legacy of Werner Erhard'), his "est" seminars (later replaced by The Forum, and later carried by Landmark Education) were an extremely "hot" subject in the 1970s and early 1980s, and are still considered as having been "transformational" by many graduates.
W.W. Bartley (1934-1990; a philosopher who has written other books such as 'Wittgenstein,' wrote in the Introduction to this 1978 book, "This book aims to penetrate belief by presenting that experience which is captured in a life story. It tells the story of a rogue genius and American original whose person, life, education, program, are all at issue. It is the story of Erhard's life, education, and transformation, and tells how a poor boy from Philadelphia, a car salesman named Jack Rosenberg, a liar, an imposter, and a wife-deserter, got to that California freeway: how he became a man of integrity and compassion. It is also a universal story of the search for true identity and for Self."
He describes Erhard's work as "a meeting... between American Will and Oriental intellect." (Pg. xx) He quotes Erhard, "It was at this time that I first began to learn something out of Eastern religious thought, too. This wasn't originally out of any desire for spiritual attainment. It was only later, in studying spiritual disciplines, that I heard about spiritual attainment... Incidentally, there is no such thing as attainment when it comes to being spiritual." (Pg. 14)
He also quotes, "I resisted my mother as a teenager. Well, it is a law of the Mind that you become what you resist... I began increasingly to operate in my mother's identity. Having resisted my mother, and lost my mother, I BECAME my mother. I became Dorothy." (Pg. 44)
Bartley observes, "And so the 'est' training was born. But how does it work? And what vision underlies it?... Werner's point is that you don't agree with or believe in a ladder. You climb it. And if it breaks you get a new one. Thus to treat his philosophical perspective as a system to be believed, or to be committed or attached to, is to miss the point. As he puts it: 'The truth, believed, is a lie.'" (Pg. 180)
Erhard explains, "I am a sort of revolutionary. I have a strange ambition, though. I don't want any statues. I don't want any ordinary monuments. What I want is for the world to work. That's the monument I want. There's egomania for you! The organizing principle of est is: 'Get the world to do what it is doing.' I want to create a context in which government, education, families are nurturing. I want to enable, to empower, the institutions of man." (Pg. 220)
Rather too hagiographical and self-promoting of Erhard to be effective as a true biography, this book is nevertheless a key document for anyone wanting to learn more about the man behind the seminars and their descendants.
September 5, 2023
If you ever heard of Werner Erhard or Est or maybe attended a similar course of work, then you will find this book interesting. A story about a complex and flawed man. A brilliant man, an expanded mind.
November 27, 2017
Very insightful writing. A must read if you want to get a background understanding of the work of Landmark Workdwide.
September 4, 2019
This book changed my life more than any other book because it lead me to get some real life coaching instead of believing I could master my self on my own by reading books!
September 26, 2020
In addition to accepting the work, for me I want to understand “what’s under the hood” that makes it work. There is great reference material in the book.
November 28, 2013
You have to like Werner Erhard before you can like the book. For me, the book was great and the things this man has done and accomplished is also the message of which he speaks , Werner plays life BIG, some may think he's a lunatic, but, afterall, "that's what thinking is about, horrible things, what in the Hell did you think it was about?"....
If you are a Landmark Education participant or part of the original "EST" seminar training, you'll enjoy the book.
If you are a Landmark Education participant or part of the original "EST" seminar training, you'll enjoy the book.
February 4, 2008
The things that go on in this world.....Even if everything is not possible, enough is possible that you have no fucking excuse!
Read
September 11, 2008est!
November 20, 2011
Really enjoy reading & learning about the life of Werner. His ideas & the way it was communicated or delivered was so impactful. This is a fantastic book about his life.
May 14, 2015
Great account of Werner's life and his path of exploration and transformation of experience.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews